“We are certainly excited to reach this milestone with our mobile truck exhibit and extremely proud that Toyota committed to joining us as we bring our important history and culture to select neighborhoods across the country as we celebrate our rich and noble history,” said Reynolds.

Since February 2008, American Legacy’s mobile truck exhibit has visited various school districts, colleges & universities, churches and African-American festivals and events across the country providing audiences with a look at African-American history and achievement.

“Toyota is thrilled to partner with American Legacy and celebrates the great heritage of its mobile truck exhibit during a month when we salute and acknowledge the innovations, accomplishments, and culture of African Americans,” said Mia Phillips, national brand manager, Toyota Motor North America.

The New Orleans stop will be hosted by The 100 Black Men of Metro New Orleans, Inc.The exhibit will be parked at Israelite Baptist Church located at 2100 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. in the city from 9am to 4pm and is open to the public.

The tour manager is MRA Experiential Tours and Equipment of Madison Heights, MI.

We have all witnessed the devastation occurring throughout east Texas as a result of Hurricane Harvey.

Many have seen the destruction from flood waters, wind and rain; and more is expected over the next several days.

As our hearts and prayers go out to all that are being affected by the storm; we know that “Faith without works is dead.” (James 2:17 NIV)

In an effort to assist 100 Black Men of Metropolitan Houston, Inc. as they respond to the devastation created for members and their surrounding community, we are coordinating with President Robinson in requesting that our Chapter network consider giving a financial donation to the Hurricane Harvey Disaster Relief Fund.

100% of Funds Received go to Support Relief Efforts

Financial donations submitted to 100 Black Men of Metropolitan Houston, Inc. will be provided to The Hurricane Harvey Disaster Relief Fund operated and implemented by the Houston Mayor’s Office.

100 Black Men of Metropolitan Houston, Inc. has collaborated with the Houston Mayor’s Office on numerous occasions; and we believe this is the most effective and efficient way to dispense the appropriate resources and aid to members of our communities.

Statement From 100BlackMen Of America, Inc. In Response To The Horrifying Events That Occurred In Charlottesville, Virginia

The 100BlackMen of America, Inc. is profoundly saddened by the loss of life and deeply disturbed by the mobilization and organized bigotry that descended on Charlottesville, Virginia on Friday and Saturday.

First, we offer our heartfelt condolences to those who lost their lives, those who were injured, their families and the community.

We expect the full force of the United States Government, local law enforcement, and elected representatives to bring to justice those responsible for inciting the violence that led to unfathomable carnage and deadly outcomes.

The vile spirit of hatred and violence permeating in this country will continue until those in power take an aggressive and intentional stand against domestic terrorists, white supremacist, Nazi and white nationalists groups.

Curley M. Dossman, Chairman of the Board
Brian Pauling, President and CEO

In support two major themes:
• Sustained and authentic community engagement and
• Provision of high quality education for all
The Coalition has identified several essential elements that must be addressed to ensure this process honors the five guiding principles of:
1. Sovereignty of local control
2. Close equity gaps
3. System efficacy and accountability
4. Data transparency and integrity
5. Safe and secure learning environments
Our Coalition calls for these essential elements in the Plan for Unification:

PRINCIPLE 1: Sovereignty of local control
1.1. Develop a clear framework for civic participation including:
o Developing a citywide Youth Advisory Council with a meaningful and integrated decision-making role to ensure system decisions are student-centered.
o Support and Incentivize civic education from K-12 to prepare students for 21st century citizenship

1.2. Establish a permanent citywide Parent Advisory Council with a meaningful and integrated decision-making role to ensure system decisions are family-centric.

1.3. Host quarterly community town halls briefing the local community on all local, state and federal policies, plans and laws, as well as the results/implications of any major litigation (i.e. special education consent decree).

PRINCIPLE 2: Close Equity Gaps
2.1. Develop a comprehensive system wide plan for behavioral, mental and physical health care. The plan should include protocols applicable to all areas of health care and include a provision for the district to be a provider of services as well as a rating agency for services in these specific areas. This model would also require cross-training of all social service, behavioral and mental health professionals within every school and ensure identifying services.

2.2. Establish a citywide student handbook that also addresses discipline policy that makes universal policy on what constitutes a spendable/expellable offense to ensure equity across all students and minimize the use of law enforcement in schools.

PRINCIPLE 3: System efficacy and accountability
3.1. Develop a framework for ensuring consistency in grading/course credits which allows for ease of transferability (choice) across schools within the system.

3.2. Revise the current Enroll Nola to ensure a student and family-friendly tool and process. This revision should be done in concert with direct input from families on what works and what does not work in the existing process. Enroll Nola should be choice centered allowing parents who wish to utilize the schools in their neighborhood and parents with children already in schools to be given higher preference. Parents must be allowed to keep families together and/or maintain community support structures that will provide the best opportunities for their children. Enrollment exclusionary practices toward special needs students must be dismantled.

3.3. Develop a framework within the school district to provide oversight and direct intervention and support to schools that are “at-risk.” This should include access to an array of services where schools are in need of improvement. We call for eliminating the academically disruptive practice of closing schools as the primary strategy of improving schools.

PRINCIPLE 4: Data transparency and integrity and Fiscal Responsibility
4.1. Build a system to ensure full and transparent reporting of all schools budgets, annual financials and audits at the local level. These items should be reviewed by the OPSB on an annual basis as a component of the Board’s fiscal oversight and published locally (i.e. A local website).

4.3. Ensure a system of cost- efficient use of taxpayer dollars through centralized procurement, shared services, maintenance and capital improvements, etc. This should include building a robust DBE process which aligns DBE policies of other local public entities.

PRINCIPLE 5: Safe and Secure Learning Environment
5.1. Build a pilot human capital pipeline program which can serve as a potential model in revamping the citywide approach to human capital. Such a program would employ innovative approaches to teacher induction (mentoring), building a corps of master teachers to increase teacher diversity, teacher retention, and issues of cultural competency. This program should aim to also bring educator demographics in alignment with distribution of race/ethnicity and gender in the City of New Orleans.

5.2. Build an integrated and system wide approach to early childhood that is developmentally appropriate, culturally competent, and holistic.

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Member Spotlight

John Murchinson, JMurchison & Associates Consulting Services, LLC ( JMACS) Past President and Founding Board Member John Murchinson is a senior Marketing, Business Development & Community service professional with more than 30 years experience in leading customer service initiatives, contract administration, project management and public relations. He has extensive experience in storm preparation & response […]

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Success Story

A consortium of organizations and individuals invested in the lives of the children of our community have been working in concert with each other to advocate for common principles that would insure the school system our children deserve. This group has worked to expend and expound on, what was then called the “5 Principles of […]